BYOD programs allow students to bring their own electronic devices
to school and use them in the classroom. I remember struggling over what to do
about cell phones when my students first started sneaking them into class.
Eight years ago there were no smart phones much less tablets, kindles, tablets or iPads. Cell phones were considered
distracting because students could use them to text each other. In 2006 I
purchased my first smart phone, a "SideKick." I wowed my students by
instant messaging a cousin who lived in Oslo. By the end of that school year
smart phones were the rage and our school had to decide what to do with them.
At first we continued business as usual. Phones were not allowed at school, and teachers were to confiscate them if found. Seven years later BYOD has become a
great way to engage the students in their learning.
In his article Report: District Use of Social Networks up 44 Percent over 2 Years Joshua Bolkan lists these as the key findings of a study conducted by the Center for Digital Education and National School Boards Association:
- Nearly
all respondents, at 94 percent, reported that their district allows
teachers to use Web 2.0 tools, up from 82 percent two years ago;
- Logging
a six-percent increase since last year's survey, 71 percent of those
surveyed reported that their district had a "digital content
strategy" featuring tools such as digital textbooks, Web 2.0 tools,
educational games or simulations, video, or audio;
- The
biggest obstacle in preparing for upcoming Common Core online assessments,
according to the survey, is a lack of computers, at 32 percent;
- Twenty
percent of respondents said they didn't know what the largest challenge
for online assessments was, while 19 percent said they lacked technical
support and expertise and 17 percent said their district doesn't have
enough Internet access or bandwidth for the assessments;
- Only
nine percent of respondents reported having no bring-your-own-device
(BYOD) program in their district, with 41 percent reporting a current
implementation and 50 percent saying they were either planning or in the
process of implementing one; and
- Among
deployed BYOD programs reported, 84 percent included grades 9-12, 72
percent included grades 6-8, 58 percent included grades 4-5, and 44
percent included grades preK-3.
